CHAPTER X. 



Nobby, the most peculiar horse Splan ever drove; a wild, scary fellow that had 

 a wonderful flight of speed — The race at Cleveland in which Nobby 

 beat a lot of cracks — Mr. David Bonner's well-remembered compliment — 

 Stuffing a horse's ears with cotton, and some incidents connected with the 

 practice — Needle Gun, and the trouble he made on a ferry boat — W. J. 

 Gordon's horses, his breeding farm, and his character as a man — Chat 

 about what certain drivers have done with particular families of horses — 

 Protection's great race against J. B. Richardson. 



The bay gelding Nobby was the most peculiar horse that 

 I ever trained or drove. Peculiar in disposition, peculiar 

 in formation, and peculiar in gait. The first time I ever 

 saw him George Saunders was working him out over the 

 Cleveland track. Nobby belonged to Mr. Gordon, he hav- 

 ing bought him in Kentucky for $5,000 the previous winter. 

 He had more of the gray hound appearance about him than 

 any other trotting horse I ever saw, being extremely long 

 in neck, body, etc , and when in motion looked to be at 

 least two inches higher behind than in front. When I first 

 saw him he was indulging in some very wild breaks, and 

 don't think I ever saw a trotter that could run any faster and 

 jump any higher in harness than he could. At this particu- 

 lar time he seemed to be using every effort in that direction. 

 When he did go on a trot it was with a long, low, easy gait 

 that took him over the ground at a much faster pace than 

 one would imagine by looking at him. He put me in mind 

 some of Calmar, a horse I had driven some years before for 

 Mr. George Baker of Cleveland. In looking Nobby over care- 

 fully I was very much struck with his race-horse f onnation. 

 Asking the groom about him I found he had been trotted 

 with some success and had a record of about 2:25. I never 



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